San Tunes - The Dance Festival in the Kalahari

San Tunes - Das Tanzfest in der Kalahari

Before the arrival of Europeans, they controlled large swathes of southern Africa. Since then the people who call themselves simply «San» have been known as «Bushmen»- a description that makes it all too easy to dismiss their knowledge of nature and ecology and artistic genius. Once a year the sandy fields of the Kalahari are transformed into a stage for mysterious trance, healing and hunting dances. It is predominately the older San who today are still able to sing the old hunting songs in which they call on the spirits of killed kudus, giraffes and eland and attempt to propitiate them. The spirits of the hunted animals visit the bodies of the living during nocturnal trance dances to form a bond between man and nature and fascinating communal healing dances are intended to cure social ills. Many San groups from all over Africa travel to Botswana to display their unique spiritual energy and forget, for a while, the problems of their difficult daily lives: a marvelous festivity of hope!